The vice chancellor of the Federal University Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State, Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina, has reiterated his commitment to making FUOYE a global brand for research with a view to enhancing academic productivity.
He has also enjoined Nigerian universities to prioritise research through dissemination of outputs, robust critiques, engagements and cross-fertilisation of ideas.
This, he said, would provoke academic productivity for the overall benefits of Nigeria and the African continent.
Professor Fasina made the comments on Wednesday at the opening of an International Conference being hosted by the faculty.
The theme of the two-day conference is ‘Optimizing and Achieving Nigeria’s Socio-economic Development: Prospects, Opportunities and Challenges.’
According to a statement by the university’s public relations officer, Mr Foluso Ogunmodede, while declaring the conference open, the FUOYE VC said the theme was not only apt for the nation’s socio-economic development but would boost the nation’s economic prosperity.
He noted: “It is not out of place to say that our dear country is facing a lot of challenges ranging from increasing population to competition for scarce resources and its attendant vices.
To optimise and achieve Nigeria’s socio-economic development, however, Fasina said there is the need to harness the prospects, identify the opportunities and proffer veritable ways forward to mitigate the challenges through evidence-based and empirical research from academia.
The dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Babatunde Omotosho, in his comments described the vice chancellor as an enigmatic and result-oriented leader, saying his fatherly role would not be forgotten in a hurry.
A keynote address was also delivered at the opening day of the conference by Professor Olabisi Idowu Aina from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, after an opening remark by the chairman, conference organising committee, Dr Sunday Adedini.
